Surya Family
“We are forever ignorant, those who pursue knowledge. For humanity knows nothing, and it should be humbled in the expanse of the void.” '' ''- Sheikha Vela Surya Kasih, after the Scream History The oldest known surviving member after the scream was Sheikha Vela Surya Kasih, she became the head of the family and ever since the family has been matrilineal. The family has always existed primarily on the Moon of Haqani, Pharos, on a massive estate that expanded closer to the library over the years, often called The Nucleus. Since before the Scream, the Surya Family was a major family in House Vela. However was never apart of the Council of Twelve intentionally separate to prevent the family from being tied up into politics distracting it from its main objective, learning. After losing the library in the Scream and all the knowledge of the psychics it became the prime directive of the Surya family as a family of scientists and teachers was to preserve and discover new knowledge. While the rest of House Vela was dedicated to rediscovering the sector the Surya Family documenting their discoveries mined it for information and stored it. Generations passed and it became clear that this was a never-ending path and because of this learning and the pursuit of knowledge became the core of the family until the present day. Influencing the way they looked at the world and the philosophy they preached. They were a core group in House Vela that was dedicated to rebuilding the library and filling it with information, and teaching those in the new generations. Eighty percent of all Surya family members are or were scientists, teachers, and philosophers. Navigation played a huge role as well many feeling the call of the void and the planets outside of Perithr, they were apart of The Great Journey. However after that monumental task was completed it was rare any of them stayed navigating trade ships or transports, preferring to return home to learn and teach. During The Blood Eagle's Reign After the Blood Eagle assumed power, the Surya family chose to ally with her until such a time it became convenient to not be. Not caring about who they were ruled by as long as it didn't interrupt or interfere with their research, data-collection and normal operations. In spite of this, the Research Black Sites were never revealed to the Empress because they were never asked and the family never told. Mostly, however, the Surya family kept the same stance as the rest of Vela during the Second Imperial Civil War which was neutrality until a side was clearly winning. During The Shining Star's Reign After House Vela won the throne funding increased substantially to the Surya Family they invested in major archeological efforts and expanding navigation schools particularly The Musaeum of Pharos, during this time the Musaeum tripled in size and became what it was in the modern day. During the War of Artificials The Surya family was deeply wounded when it came to the destruction of House Cygnus, they had intermarried with Cygnus families quite often as their pursuit of knowledge was admirable and being close by led to an intermingling with each other. However, the fact that they betrayed humanity itself could not be ignored and the Surya family did what was necessary and what was asked of them. Many of the people who carried out this purge could not live with their actions even if they were necessary. During the Ascendancy After the loss of nobility, the Surya family was at a crossroads, with their hundreds of connections and a long list of allies in other houses it became obvious to them they had to pick one or the other. As an apolitical family, this was an easy choice, stick with Vela as that is where all of their resources were based and locus of power extended. However, some married into other houses at the start whether from already having family in them or for the necessity of their research. Most acted in the interest of their research if it was required to be noble outside of Haqani they sought ways of retaining their status if they could still continue their work as a freeman they did. Once The Velan Ascendancy dissolved and destroyed The Great Library, the Surya family left the system. Their entire reason for existing since the Scream was adding to the knowledge base of the sector and with it destroyed they had no reason to stay and no reason to be loyal to whatever remained of their former House and nation. The normal structure of the family dissolved all assets on Haqani and Pharos were either destroyed or sold to whoever would buy them. The explosion of the Great Library also destroyed the Surya Estate. Family Ceremonies and Customs A traditional birthday ceremony is after the child's sixteenth year they would be required every year after to have discovered something new or added to the library in some way. This practice was common among most of the nuclear Surya families. Another yearly ceremony is that of dissertation defense, often a common practice in Musaeums in House Vela or other places of higher learning across the sector. But in the Surya family it is a family affair where every year in the summer there is a family reunion at The Nucleus. During the gathering it is a common practice where the appointed leaders of the different endeavors the Surya Family engaged in would form a council to attack many younger relatives and their new studies, papers and theories. Debates were also a mainstay of the event, mostly about philosophy and the value of knowledge. Marriage remained a political tool often to extend rights or provide easier access to information from other houses. Group marriages were common, as were marriages for genetics. Faith in the Surya Family Religion was common aspect to the family a majority of the family followed The Way or the High Church in their daily lives. However a core aspect of all faith in the family was "through the process of learning the Divine can be revealed". The Divine gave us the ability to learn to better understand their designs. To better enjoy the world and through determination and resolve we might understand more about the universe they created. To know more than yesterday is a common aspiration of all family members. Major Division - The Value of Knowledge Over the generations one thing remains a contentious issue in the family, the Value of Knowledge. The entire family values all Knowledge but ranking the importance or value of it remains a debate contested between many nuclear families and research disciplines. As the entire family is in competition with each other with who can discover something important determining what is important is an issue. Knowing how many species of fauna exist across the sector is useful information to some, but not to everyone in the family or the sector at large. This has led to some in the family that says the most valuable information is what is useful to everyone in the sector, and if not useful directly it can be applied to make their lives better, move everyone closer to the understanding of the divine or inspire people. However others say that it does not matter what effect the new information has, knowing something new in and of itself is the paramount of value. This debate rages still today if two relatives from the different sides ever enter the same room. Sayings We know nothing, those who claim they do are naive fools. Learning is the process in which we connect with the divine. Foolish are those who rush blindly into the unknown, through knowledge the path becomes clear. Family Organization The organization of the family fell on one person usually the oldest female alive at any given time. She was tasked with running the political side the family leaving the rest of the family free to pursue their research or studies. Below her were many high ranking people again based on age and what they were working on. Beyond that, it was determined by the nuclear family and direct relatives. The rough population of the Surya family in the present day is around ~223 people. Losing nearly half of what they had before the dissolution of Vela. The last head of the family was A'rin Surya after her death no new one was to be appointed as the rest of the family did what was best for them and their interests. Exec Editor Neriah Surya (Age 31) - were ever PRISM needs her. Misja (age 53) — Location unknown Grand Sufiya A'rin — Dead (3200, October) – Last seen in the Library soon before its destruction. Shamshir Jacob — Dead – died in the Siege of Haqani Navigator Nauli —Dead (3189) Fakri Claudius — Dead (3189) Ustadh Krisna — Dead (3152) Category:House Vela Category:The Velan Ascendancy Category:House Vela Members